We treat our current clients like they’re new clients.

Thank you locals, for choosing charities

We’re proud of the communities we serve and are delighted to be able to help those who work so hard to make them a better place to live. It has always been our policy to directly support charitable organizations, and no one knows which organizations are most in need better than the people who live in that community. That’s why we ask for help from the members of our communities. Locals nominated dozens of charities and 64 of them from six states were selected to participate in our Locals Know Best giving campaign.

Stay tuned, as we hope to continue the Locals Know Best giving program in 2015. It’s one part of the Washington Federal community giving program, and just another way we are invested here.

The Foundation’s purpose is to facilitate direct giving to community-based nonprofits serving the needs of low and moderate-income individuals. We direct our contributions to these areas: Housing & Community Development, Senior Citizens & Low-Income Families, and Financial Literacy. For additional information and the grant application: Community Relations

Success Stories

Over the past months, we've donated a total
of $208,000 to the charities below.

Over $208,000
raised so far for the charities below!

Check out the power of local knowhow and Washington Federal.

Fallon Youth Club

Fallon Youth Club provides the youth of our community a safe, welcoming atmosphere with positive adult connections. We are dedicated to the development of all youth regardless of economic status, race, or religion. Through fun educational activities staffed with professionals, we strive to inspire our members to be responsible, caring, productive citizens.

Every community wants a safe fun place for its children, a place to get help with their homework and explore their interests. Churchill County has the Fallon Youth Club. Every day after school, the Club opens its doors to kids from all walks of life. Staff greet members with a smile, a snack and exciting and challenging activities, making this a place where kids want to be. Charging families $10 a month for our after-school months, we're affordable for everyone. During the summer, the Club delivers free lunches to 6 service sites, including 3 neighborhood parks and 3 low-income apartment complexes, a hot evening meal to our Club members, and a wide variety of activities. Summer weekly fees are income based; money will never be a reason a child is not welcomed into our program. Serving our community since 2005, the Fallon Youth Club serves over 70 young people each day.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We provide the youth of our community a home away from home, with high expectations that everybody - regardless of where they start - has the potential to be successful, happy adults.

A vote for the Fallon Youth Club is a vote for our children's future!!

Fernley/Wadsworth Lions Club

Lions provides many services at no cost to their communities. Our club's primary focus is Sight, and making it possible for persons that cannot afford vision care to receive, at no cost to them, eye exams, glasses and eye surgery, from cataracts to more involved treatment and surgery. This has been of great help to all, but primarily seniors. Our club, in combined service with our local food pantry and a local transportation service, also uses our own personal vehicles, and package and deliver food to the elderly on Tuesday of every week.

Our club also puts together events for the community, and the elders in Fernley are always come. In addition, our club puts together lunches and speakers that are involved in all areas of vision care, providing the latest information in their fields of expertise. We also have Camp Dat So Lalee; this is a summer camp for under privileged children, and we provide complete physicals, clothing, food and transportation.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The money from Washington Federal will help to support all of the services that the Lions Club provides in the Fernley/Wadsworth communities. We are very thankful for this generous donation.

Churchill County Senior Center

Our mission is to provide support services to Senior Citizens, their families and caregivers - services to promote independence, quality of life and dignity. Our focus program is Meals on Wheels, which since 1977 has been providing not only a nutritious meal to homebound seniors, but also a daily check, a friendly smile, and an opportunity to check on their safety and surroundings. In many cases, this service is the reason the senior is able to avoid admission to a nursing home and able to stay in their own homes, aging in place.

The Meals on Wheels program has seen tremendous growth in the past two years, reaching over 300 seniors, and we expect to deliver well over 50,000 meals this year. Our Aging and Disability grant funds support only 45% of the programs, and they do not increase with growth. It is our goal and commitment to raise needed funds to avoid implementing a waiting list for this needed service.

In addition to Meals on Wheels, we offer several programs which work together to provide a continuum of care. We host a daily lunch in our Congregate Dining Room, the Homemaker Program, a variety of social and recreational activities, and volunteer opportunities. Our newest collaboration is the Aging and Disability Resource Center/Care Connection. We can now connect seniors, their families, caregivers, and any age persons with disabilities to needed resources, services and assistance.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The grant money from Washington Federal is greatly appreciated and will be utilized to support the general operations of the Churchill County Senior Center programs.

Rotary Club of Fernley

The Rotary Club of Fernley, a spoke in the wheel of Rotary International, enthusiastically believes in the Rotary motto of "Service above Self." Our local Club is involved with many community-based projects, concentrating on youth leadership, education and hunger. Our largest project is the Fernley "Backpack" food program that is entering its 5th year.

The "Backpack" food program provides weekend food to children in need of food in our school system. These Fernley children, in elementary and middle school, are identified by the school counselors, usually classified as "homeless" as needing supplement food over the weekend. Our Club has been supplying as many as 165 meals weekly, and we keep the cost of these 3,000 calorie kits around $3.00 each through careful purchasing in bulk and hand-making the individual kits. The kits are delivered by Fernley Rotary to the schools each Friday and are discretely distributed to each child by the school counselors as they leave for home.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds received from Washington Federal's "Locals Know Best" program will be used solely to purchase the food items that make up the food kits for our "Backpack" food program.

Luz Social Services, Inc.

Luz Social Services, Inc. (LSSI) is a community-based 501(c) 3 registered non-profit corporation founded in 1971 to provide health and human services to the Hispanic communities as well as the general population of Tucson.

Through community mobilization and development, Luz continues to direct its resources to train and empower youth and parents on financial literacy, domestic violence prevention, and fight the consequences and associated problems of substance abuse, such as juvenile crime, school dropouts, DUI, violence, drug possessions and arrests, teen pregnancy, alcohol and tobacco use by pregnant women, and liquor law violations.

One of the strategies LSSI uses to reach our goal of a safer, healthier, and more productive community is organizing alcohol-free community-wide cultural celebrations or events. We are fundraising for our two biggest events, the Annual Hispanic Sports and Academic Enrichment Program (HSAEP) and Thanksgiving in the Barrio where we feed the less fortunate.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The Washington Federal Money will be used to continue our commitment to serving the residents of Tucson by sponsoring our Fourteenth Annual "Thanksgiving in the Barrio." We will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving feast to the less fortunate members of the Tucson community. In addition to providing the traditional Thanksgiving meal, we will have a community health and resource fair. The resource fair will also include information regarding other topics, such as housing, financial education, and health, including mental health.

SMILE

Service Maximizing Independent Living and Empowerment - dba SMILE - was incorporated in June 1998. One of only five Centers for Independent Living in Arizona, SMILE's mission is "empowering individuals with disabilities to maximize independence."

SMILE evaluates each individual and provides services to make them more independent and more active in the community.

To be a part of the community means that you can provide a safe and healthy environment at home first. SMILE helps improve the lives of people with disabilities and the elderly by providing the local community members of Yuma with Information and Referral Services, Life Skills Training (personal resource management, household management, travel/transportation, self-care, communication skills training), Advocacy, Peer Support, Home Modification, Vocational and Benefits Planning, thereby giving the individual the ability to succeed and become active in the community.

SMILE helps any person with a disability or elderly consumer in the education and assistance of Social Security questions. SMILE also provides social security and benefit planning to La Paz County.

When it comes to providing better work, education and benefits, a voice in the community starts with the consumer. Independence gives Yuma County a voice for the rights of the elderly and people with disabilities. What better way to be heard than to show what people with disabilities and the elderly can do for the community.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

All funds received go directly to services to empower individuals with disabilities and the elderly. SMILE will continue to provide services through grants, foundations, charitable contributions, and with the help of organizations and community members that support local non-profits.

Fallon Daily Bread

Fallon Daily Bread is a community feeding program hosted by Epworth United Methodist Church in Fallon, Nevada. Volunteers have been serving a meal to anyone that comes to the dining room door, each Monday and Thursday for over eight years. The volunteers who organize, shop, plan menus, and maintain the kitchen and dining room are congregation members of Epworth UMC. Although Fallon Daily Bread is a ministry of Epworth, support for this work is received through donations of time, food, and money from many individuals, church groups, and service organizations in our local community. Epworth could not prepare and serve this hot meal without the support of the Fallon community.

An average of 100 meals are prepared each time Fallon Daily Bread opens their doors. In 2013, just under 10,000 meals were served. Some of the patrons receiving a meal are homeless or living in circumstances that won't allow cooking a meal at home. Just as often, the patrons are seniors or families trying to stretch a meager monthly budget. Others come for the companionship, rather than eating another meal at home alone. The only requirement to receive a meal is to show up.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

All donations received by Fallon Daily Bread are used to "feed the hungry." The purchase of food, cooking supplies, and maintaining the kitchen and dining room space are the only expenses incurred. All labor, supervision, and administration is provided on a volunteer basis. This is one way that Epworth UMC shows the love, grace, and mercy of Christ in our local community.

Frontier Community Action Agency

Working toward a better tomorrow!

The mission of the Frontier Community Action Agency (FCAA) is to empower the community and ensure equal opportunity for low-income citizens. It exists for the primary purpose of addressing the needs of low-income citizens. The FCAA establishes and directs programs that help individuals and families to address social and economic issues faced by low-income, special or at-risk residents of Elko, Humboldt Lander, and Pershing Counties in Nevada. We collaborate with community members on strategies and techniques to implement changes that bring about opportunity and enable citizens to secure economic self-reliance. The FCAA offers assistance in the following areas: welfare and social service applications, energy assistance applications, low income housing applications, and TANF.

FCAA offers clients employment assistance, resume assistance, tax assistance, financial literacy training, SNAP rural outreach, backpacks for kids program to provide weekend lunches for children, Hope Tree grief counseling, Miles for Smiles dental care for people 18 and younger, supportive housing program for the disabled and homeless, and the summer food service program serving lunch for anyone 18 and younger at the park.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Frontier Community Action Agency will use these funds to help support the low-income individuals and families in our community. FCAA intends to impact adults, children, youth, and families struggling with self-sufficiency.

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

The Mission of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona:
"Through education, advocacy, and the acquisition, storage, and distribution of food, we will anticipate
and meet the food needs of the hungry in our community."

Since 1975, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona has served residents of Tucson; however, our
service area also includes Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, Pima, and Santa Cruz county. We reach over 23,106
square miles of Southern Arizona through various programs from Emergency Food Boxes to gardening programs.
Our clients include working families, seniors, veterans, homeless and children. Every day we provide enough food for 63,400 meals.

Over 27 million pounds of food was distributed to hungry Southern Arizonans last year. We have branch food banks in Amado, Green Valley, Marana and Nogales. Our Nogales Community Food Bank provides over 2700 Emergency Food Boxes a month, reaching more than 9800 individuals.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The $2000 donation by Washington Federal will help to support the overall mission of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and to ensure that the people of Southern Arizona have access to the food and programs they need.

People of Color Network, Inc.

As an Accountable Care Network, PCN Health, a leading community‐based 501c(3) charitable organization, is providing integrated behavioral and physical health services through collaborative care programs, as well as culturally and linguistically responsive services in Maricopa County and parts of Pinal County, AZ. We serve more than 6,000 adults, youth, children and their families challenged with serious behavioral health and mental illness, addictions and chronic health conditions, helping to close the gap in service disparity to better serve culturally-diverse families.

PCN Health is comprised of culturally-competent, quality-focused, community‐based behavioral and physical health providers, in order to deliver integrated community healthcare to achieve its mission of "Creating and Maintaining Healthy People of Color Communities by Turning Recovery Into Living." Our network, with multiple provider partners, brings healthcare and community resources and information through community engagement and outreach efforts to medically under-served, multi-cultural, low-income and high-need neighborhoods.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

PCN Health will use these funds to help support the Children and Family Groups: Multi-Family Groups, Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families & Community Groups, and Salsa, Sabor y Salud (healthy eating, exercise & education). These groups help us provide the necessary education, support, skill building and tools for children and families, impacting health and wellness for the entire family!

PCN Health intends to impact adults, children, youth and families with the efficient delivery of holistic, culturally-appropriate healthcare, and is committed to the health and safety of those we have the privilege of serving.

Food Bank of Northern Nevada

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is the main charitable emergency food assistance network in northern Nevada, and remains the primary resource through which food-insecure individuals access food in our service area. With the support of our donors who are committed to ending hunger, the Food Bank has developed an efficient infrastructure that makes it possible to help people in need, 93,000 each month. Our food distribution efforts have increased from 3.2 million pounds of food in 2005-06 to 12.9 million in 2012-13. This poundage yields 15.4 million meals.

We are working to address hunger in a healthful way! Ensuring that we offer the best possible nutrition available for those who turn to us for help, we focus significant efforts on obtaining and distributing fresh produce to counterbalance the reliance of struggling families on low-cost, high-calorie foods which threaten their health. Our facility has two large temperature-controlled rooms that can store fresh produce. Our fleet of ten refrigerated trucks enables us to safely transport perishables. In FY 2013, the Food Bank distributed 6.5 million pounds of produce — 50% of total food distributed!

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Mobile Pantry is essential in our food distribution efforts. This program targets the food-insecure in high-need neighborhoods that have extremely limited access to fresh, health-promoting food. Some 37 sites receive monthly visits from our Mobile Pantry truck, and hundreds of people access the pantry each month. In FY 2013, we delivered 1,458,102 pounds, equal to 1,215,085 meals, serving 36,000 persons.

Junior Achievement of Northern Nevada

Junior Achievement's volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.
JA uses experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. Junior Achievement's students develop the skills they need
to experience the realities and opportunities of work and entrepreneurship in the 21st-century global marketplace.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The Boys & Girls Club of Bisbee

The Boys & Girls Club of Bisbee serves all youth ages 6-17 — NO child is turned away. The Club offers year-round programming by implementing an After-School and Summer Program with structured activities focusing on the Key Elements for Positive Youth Development (Safe, Positive Environment; Fun; Supportive Relationships; Opportunities and Expectations; Recognition). BGCB follows the National Boys & Girls Clubs of America program standards to ensure the delivery of service is effective, impacts today's youth and is measurable.

We serve 20,000 meals annually by participating in the CACFP and Summer Food Service Program USDA food programs. On a monthly basis, we host Family Fun Nights, bringing the parents/guardians together with their child/ren for hands-on learning experiences, presentations and quality time. The Club serves as a community resource. We offer referrals for families, partner with other non-profits to be creative with funding sources, and provide facility use for various community events/classes during non-program hours.

Our Mission Statement: to inspire, teach and enable the youth of Bisbee and nearby rural border areas — especially those that need us the most — to have fun while realizing their full potential as productive, healthy, responsible and caring citizens.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The Boys & Girls Club of Bisbee will use these funds to help support the annual Summer Special Events: Olympic Day, Health & Safety Fair and 2nd Annual Back to School Fair. The Club will be able to provide the necessary tools for our members to be successful, safe and healthy!

Yuma Community Food Bank

Founded in 1978 by a group of dedicated volunteers, the Yuma Community Food Bank focused on the need to feed hungry children within Yuma County. Thirty-four years later, the Yuma Community Food Bank continues to create and enhance emergency and supplemental food programs that have an educational and a nutritional component for families throughout Yuma and La Paz County.

The customers that the Yuma Community Food Bank serves are classified as the "working poor." This would include single moms and dads, two-parent families, veterans and senior citizens on fixed incomes. This represents over 300,000 visits to the Food Bank annually, which are from the population working at or above minimum wage jobs and continue to struggle to feed themselves, their children and their families.

The Yuma Community Food Bank's Mission is to relieve hunger, increase self-reliance and improve the quality of life for children and families throughout Southwestern Arizona. Our customers need us to continue what we do and to be there every step of the way. In order to maintain services, the Yuma Community Food Bank accepts donations in the form of food, funds and time.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The money received from Washington Federal will be used to purchase food and supplies that stock the food bank and help us continue the important work we do. We cannot do it alone.

Cappalappa Family Resource Center

The Cappalappa Family Resource Center has proudly provided services in the Moapa Valley area since 1999. The center is considered the core "One Stop Shop" of family services offered in Moapa Valley. Our goal is to improve the quality of life of our clients through public education and collaborative efforts with other community-oriented service agencies.

Our services include:

Case Management

Basic Living Resources

Food Bank

Holiday Assistance

USDA Commodities

Shaken Baby Syndrome Class w/simulator

Safe Sitter Classes (ages 11 - 13)

Money Management and Life Skills Program

Diapers and Formula (limited basis)

Back to School Supply Assistance

NV Check Up/NV Medicaid Insurance

Welfare Applications Assistance

Energy Assistance Applications

Child Assessment

Expanded Resource Lending Library

Individualized Spanish to English Rosetta Stone

Individualized English to Spanish Rosetta Stone

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The $2,000 from Washington Federal will be used to restock the Food Bank, primarily for infant formula and hygiene items.

Helping Hands of Vegas Valley

Helping Hands of Vegas Valley is a local nonprofit agency that provides free services to
needy seniors in the community. In collaboration with James Seastrand Helping Hands of North Las Vegas,
the Transportation Program provides rides to medical appointments, shopping and other errands, and the
Senior Necessities Program Pantry serves food and paper goods to low-income seniors. Those seniors with
a household income of 150% or less of the federal poverty guideline are eligible. Currently the average
household income of our pantry clients is about $700 per month, forcing many of our seniors to make the
choice between food and necessary medication, utilities, or rent.

This program is unique, as it is the only one in the Valley in which food is delivered once each month
by dedicated volunteers to the seniors' homes. Seniors are also able to come in person and pick up their
food and paper goods each month at the Goldberg Senior Center. Seniors who meet the income eligibility
for our pantry program receive one large bag (approximately 20 lbs.) of non-perishable food and a bag
of paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels and tissues) monthly.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Although many groups offer food and paper good drives, we frequently have to use our operating funds to purchase canned meats, soups and other staples, to serve our increasing numbers. The cost to provide this assistance monthly is about $20 per senior. This grant would allow us to provide food for more seniors annually.

Boise Rescue Mission

The mission of Boise Rescue Mission (BRM) is to teach the word of God and provide food, shelter, clothing, counseling, medical care, education and job-search assistance for men, women and children in need. BRM is committed to addressing the root causes of homelessness, such as lack of education, addiction, mental illness, etc., in order to help homeless individuals and families become self-sufficient. Boise Rescue Mission meets the basic needs of homeless people by providing food, shelter and clothing, as well as effective programs that inspire hope and equip individuals with knowledge and practical skills to help them triumph over homelessness and become self-sufficient. When individuals and families come to the Mission for a meal, caring staff members introduce these guests to other programs and services offered at BRM that can help them overcome personal obstacles to obtain a stable, healthy, productive life.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

If awarded a grant from Washington Federal, Boise Rescue Mission will use the funds for our newest facility, the Valley Women and Children's Shelter in Nampa, ID.

Crisis Center of Magic Valley

The Crisis Center of Magic Valley in Twin Falls, Idaho has been providing supportive services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault for over 30 years in the eight counties of South Central Idaho that is called "Magic Valley." The goal of the Crisis Center of Magic Valley is to rebuild lives by providing resources and tools to establish independence and freedom from abuse.

Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault often think they have no options available, so we provide shelter and support for families who have left an abusive situation, sometimes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They have many barriers to overcome - unemployment, lack of childcare or transportation, and often little or no resources. Our mission is to give these courageous victims the opportunity to change their lives, start over, and become survivors.

We are a non-profit, operating solely on grant funding and the generosity of our community. We work closely with other local resources to make sure our clients receive all the support that is available to them.

Crisis Center trained staff and volunteers provide comprehensive and effective services that range from a 24-hr crisis line, shelter home, case management, individual and group counseling sessions, legal/court advocacy, food and clothing, childcare, and transportation. Community outreach and training are also an important component of the CCMV program.

All services are free of charge, and provided in both English and Spanish.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We would like to make more services available for the children who are caught in violent family situations. The little ones are ALWAYS affected when there is violence in their homes. The good news is that children are very resilient, and with nurturing support, healing is possible. Providing therapy/counseling for the children who pass through our shelter would be a priority.

We would also like to use a portion of the money to fund a campaign and materials to make our community more aware of the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to train and educate professionals in our area (for example, the staff at nursing homes).

Lewiston-Clarkston Valley Meals on Wheels

Valley Meals on Wheels has been delivering meals to those in need in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley since 1975. Our mission is to provide nutritious, affordable, home-delivered meals 365 days a year to low income seniors, homebound individuals and others who cannot or should not prepare meals themselves. These meals allow our clients to stay in their own homes and out of care facilities for a longer period of time. Clients have a choice of a hot meal for $3, or a hot meal and a sack lunch for $4, delivered as many days of the week as they desire.

Our dedicated volunteer drivers, in many cases, are the only contact some clients have for days. The visits may be brief, but they provide a daily check-up on clients and have been of great assistance to people in an emergency. We currently serve 90 clients and deliver as many as 75 meals per day.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

A community gift from Washington Federal will be used to help make up the difference between the meal preparation cost and the amount we charge our clients for the meals. We have kept our meal prices at an affordable level for our clients, which results in a loss on every meal delivered.

Neighborhood Housing Services

Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (NHS) is a local nonprofit that envisions safe, sustainable homes as the bedrock for a stronger Idaho. NHS commits to this vision with services that revitalize neighborhoods and stabilize families, including Rake Up Boise™, Paint The Town™, home ownership counseling and affordable housing opportunities. Founded in 1982, NHS is a chartered member of NeighborWorks®, a nationwide network of 240 trained and certified community development organizations at work in more than 4,000 communities across America.

NHS believes that housing is the key to stabilizing and empowering families and communities. Until people can be safely and affordably placed in housing, other needs cannot be fully met, including employment, refugee acculturation, job training, food security, and family services. NHS provides a continuum of services focused on the needs related to housing in order to create a community where all residents have a stable place to call home, without fear of losing it.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

NHS will use this grant to provide Homebuyer Education courses and one-on-one coaching to families working toward homeownership. It will also help expand our ability to offer financial literacy sessions for families and individuals working toward financial independence.

Community Builders Cle Elum

Community Builders is a nonprofit started in Cle Elum, Washington in 2002 by Rosemary and Larry Putnam, who were committed to making Upper Kittitas County a better place to live for seniors and youth. After building the Senior Center, they set their sights on providing positive activities for youth and their families.

Our Community is rural and does not have many of the youth services that you would normally expect to find. Community Builders works to fill those gaps.

We provide afterschool programs, CRASH AND GEAR, and tutoring for kids in the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District at the Elementary and Middle Schools. The programs include homework help, tutoring, enrichment classes in Music, Art, Science, Cooking, Geography, and a host of other areas. The programs are absolutely free to students and their families, and the transportation is provided by school bus following the program.

In addition to the afterschool programs, we provide activities that work to prevent drug and alcohol use by the youth in our communities. We provide a Celebration of Drug Free Youth retreat weekend, assemblies, the Organ Lady, etc.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

During the summer, we provide a literacy program at the Roslyn and Cle Elum Libraries, an Arts in the Park series in both towns, and a summer field trip program in partnership with ADDS to provide no-cost field trips to youth in our community. All activities are absolutely free to youth and their families. This funding will really help us in our efforts to raise the $20,000 needed to provide the summer programs! Thank you for your vote!!!

The Odessa Ministerial Association

The Odessa Ministerial Association is made up of the Christian churches in Odessa, Washington. Our current congregational support members are Christ Lutheran Church, Heritage Community Church, Odessa FourSquare Church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Zion Emmanuel Lutheran Church. This cooperative ministry provides urgent assistance for families in need in the Odessa community through a local food bank, emergency funds for utility, medical and other needful situations. Our ministerial association also organizes and hosts events for the community, such as concerts and an annual community church barbeque and softball fun day. The pastors of our member congregations serve as the board of directors of this outreach ministry. Regular reports are provided to the board by the treasurer, who also provides a yearly report for the congregations' annual meetings.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

All funds granted through this effort with Washington Federal Bank will be used for support of our local food bank and our emergency funds needed for utility expense assistance for those who seek our assistance during the colder winter months.

Okanogan County Community Action Council

OCCAC is a community building organization. We work with community members of all groups to raise the poor out of poverty, to feed the hungry, to provide affordable housing for all, to empower community members through education, and in the process to return prosperity and hope for the future to our county.

For 48 years, Okanogan Community Action has led community members out of crisis and toward self-reliance with locally developed strategies. We provide Food, Warmth, Housing, and Education to people in crisis, while also teaching them strategies for future crisis prevention through financial training, budgeting, job training, home conservation techniques, and general life management skills they may not have had access to.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Our Food and Nutrition Department will benefit from this fundraiser by supporting our nutrition education activities. OCCAC does all of the purchasing and distribution for all of the food banks in the county, and has privately managed to glean over 80,000 pounds of fresh food for food bank recipients that would otherwise have gone to waste just in the last 6 months. We provided two healthy cooking demonstrations this year, and this funding will allow us to increase our classes to reach more people who struggle to put healthy food on the table while maintaining their budgets.

Additionally, funds will be used to buy materials in 2014 for a project that will provide small repairs to the homes of senior citizens.

The City Gate Spokane

A welcoming family, clean clothes, a hot bath or shower, a warm place to come in from the cold, a hot meal. These are all things that most of us take for granted. For many folks who come through the doors at The City Gate, these are luxuries often only seen at a distance. For 26 years, The City Gate has worked to provide these basic needs for the homeless and low income of the Spokane inner city.

The City Gate is a non-profit organization that is first and foremost a church with the purpose of RECLAIMING, REBUILDING & RESTORING Lost and Broken Lives. We begin this mission by providing a "gathering place" at our downtown location that's open to the public. From the homeless to low-income families, from youth on the streets to those who are addicts, from the mentally ill to the outcast, The City Gate provides a place of refuge from the streets in a safe and family-like atmosphere.

Services include:

Breakfast & lunch

Dinner

2nd Harvest food bank

Clothing bank

Social service counseling

Shower

Hygiene items and blankets

Activities and special events

26 low-income apartments

2 emergency shelter apartments

Sunday church service

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds received from Washington Federal Community Support Program will directly support our inner-city homeless and low-income families by assisting us in providing necessary supplies needed to feed, clothe and keep warm those who look to The City Gate for hope.

Accion

Accion New Mexico is a local, award-winning nonprofit organization that increases
access to business credit, makes loans, and provides training, which enable entrepreneurs
to realize their dreams and be catalysts for positive social and economic change.
Since 1994, Accion has provided over 4,956 loans totaling more than $34 million
to some 3,027 small businesses in 177 communities across the state. Accion's work
is creating tangible economic impact in New Mexico, with an estimated 4,950 jobs
created or sustained by the organization's client businesses to create greater economic
independence for themselves, their families, and their communities. A commitment
to accountability, innovation, sound management, and demonstrable results have brought
Accion recognition at both the local and national levels.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

This $3,000 gift of support will provide some 40 New Mexico entrepreneurs with the
opportunity to receive a one-on-one business and personal financial education consultation
with Accion staff. An estimated 30 individuals will attend workshops that Accion
will offer in the next two months. Through September, in New Mexico alone, our team
has supported 167 entrepreneurs with loans totaling more than $3 million.

Silver City Gospel Mission

Without passing judgment, and in a spirit of love and hospitality, the Silver City
Gospel Mission feeds, clothes and educates the hungry and provides an oasis of welcome,
safety, and cleanliness for the homeless and for men, women and children at or below
the poverty line seeking survival services in the Silver City area.

We recognize the dignity and spiritual destiny of each person, and hope by our attitude
of hospitality and Holy Spirit-filled love, to nourish not only the physical needs
of those who come to the Gospel Mission, but also their spiritual need for love,
acceptance, respect, and friendship.

Our primary services include a daily soup kitchen, food pantry, clothing bank, women
and children's shelter, and an emergency men's shelter. You can read more about
us at www.silvercitygospelmission.org.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

These funds will be used for the purchase of ready-to-eat protein items for our
food boxes: items like peanut butter, tuna fish, Spam, Vienna sausages and beef
stew.
These types of food items are rarely donated and when we do have them, we
have to
purchase them out of the cash we have on hand.
These ready-to-eat sources of protein are great for those who have neither
the
time,
means nor inclination to cook the staple items, and any help you provide
will be
greatly appreciated by our families.

ARCH Community Housing Trust

"Building Community One Home at a Time"

ARCH Community Housing Trust works to develop safe, permanently affordable housing
for low to moderate income households in Blaine County. Working in partnership with
our state housing agency, our local housing authority and countless private donors,
we ensure that the people who work in Blaine County are able to live in Blaine County.
We are a HUD-certified Community Housing Development Organization and a member of
the National Community Land Trust Network.

Originally an advocacy group working to bring awareness to the issue of affordable
housing in a resort-driven economy, ARCH began to actively develop affordable housing
in 2009. To date, we have developed over 30 homes in the Wood River Valley, including
single family, multi-family and senior housing. We both develop new construction
and rehabilitate existing homes. This year, we also moved a donated home to land
that had also been donated to ARCH.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We are the grateful recipients of another donated home. Funds from this grant will
be used to defray the costs of moving the home to another location where it will
be updated, made more energy efficient, and will serve as affordable rental housing
for a very grateful local family.

Community Action Partnership

Community Action Partnership's Aging and Disability Resource Center/ Area Agency
on Aging (ADRC/AAA) has been officially designated by the Idaho Commission on Aging
(ICOA) as the ADRC/AAA for Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis and Nez Perce Counties.
CAP's ADRC/AAA is part of a nationwide network and one of six ADRC/AAA's in Idaho
created through the Older Americans Act.

Our directed intention is to realize Aging in its abundance by eliminating economic
poverty, poverty of meaning and poverty of relationship.

By design, the ADRC/AAA is designed to streamline access to long-term care information
for people of all ages, incomes and disabilities. Our goals as an ADRC/AAA are:

To create a person-centered, community-based environment that promotes independence
and dignity for all individuals.

To provide easy access to information to assist consumers in options and planning.

To provide resources and services that supports family caregivers in planning and
support.

Our intent is to provide leadership that encourages planning for present and future
long-term care needs, in order to help ensure that older Americans and their families
have the information and assistance they need to make informed decisions and choices
about life. Life care choices help families care for their loved ones, help people
stay in their homes, and provide care options other than nursing home facilities.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

North Central Idaho ADRC/AAA programs provide information and assistance to individuals
utilizing public or private resources, to professionals seeking assistance on behalf
of their clients, and to individuals planning for their future long-term care needs.

Create Common Good

Create Common Good uses food to change lives and build healthy communities. We positively
impact the community through our job training for self-sufficiency, youth leadership
development and access to health programs to combat childhood obesity. We envision
a community in which there is individual and community transformation; empowerment
opportunities for people with barriers to employment; youth leadership development;
access to quality, nutritious food; opportunity for nutrition education; quality
employment for all seeking work; and wellness for all.

Create Common Good provides culinary job training and placement services to people
with barriers to employment. We partner with other community serving agencies to
train people who are on the path to self-sufficiency and greater opportunity, placing
98% of our graduates into jobs. Since CCG's launch in 2008, we have trained and
placed hundreds of adult head-of-household individuals, resulting in more than $6
million in earned wages reinvested back into the Idaho economy.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Your investment in CCG supports these programs, impacting families throughout the
Treasure Valley.

2013 Portneuf Valley Paintfest

Formed in 1987, Paintfest has painted close to 600 homes of qualified senior citizens
and coordinated thousands of volunteer hours and sponsor dollars. Homeowner applicants
must meet age and financial criteria (same as SEICAA criteria), their home must
be in need of exterior paint, and be located within the Pocatello/Chubbuck city
limits. The paint and labor are all provided to the homeowner at NO cost. Our mission
is to give the gift of a revitalized home exterior to seniors who need, but cannot
afford to have, their homes painted, and to foster volunteerism and sponsorship
within individuals, businesses and organizations throughout our community.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Our board makes prudent use of each sponsor dollar. A Washington Federal Foundation
Grant would allow us to positively impact the lives of our senior citizens and neighborhoods
by increasing the number of senior citizens' homes to be painted in 2014. All Paintfest
supplies are purchased locally, which multiplies the impact of a $3,000 grant greatly.

Helpline

Founded in 1973, Helpline acts as the community's "front door to help" for local
individuals and families in crisis, serving as the primary screening and referral
agency for emergency social services in Walla Walla County. Our role is to assess
their needs and connect them with appropriate local resources, including food, shelter,
counseling, as well as assistance with transportation, utilities, rent, prescriptions
and dental services. This centralized approach connects our most vulnerable citizens
with the resources they need, maximizes the use of limited community resources,
and assists in abating and preventing homelessness.

In 2009 Helpline "stepped up" to meet a critical unmet need by establishing the
STEP
Women's shelter, which provides a place for a safe, warm night's sleep for
single
homeless women in our community. In addition, it provides case management,
transition
to permanent housing, referrals for chemical dependency evaluation and treatment,
short-term counseling, and guidance toward education and employment. The STEP shelter
builds on Helpline's long history of connecting the community to assist those most
in need, and aligns with our mission to affirm the worth of every person; address
the needs of individuals, families and our community; and advocate for positive
life transformation.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds raised will go toward the abatement and prevention of homelessness, a growing
concern and challenge in Walla Walla County. Specifically, Helpline will dedicate
the funds to support our direct service programs, including assistance with utilities,
prescription medications, transportation and other related homeless prevention programs.

Lewiston-Clarkston Partners Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian based organization whose primary
vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Seeking to put God's
love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities
and hope. The Lewiston-Clarkston Partners Habitat for Humanity began in 1991 and
has built 30 homes, impacting 45 adults and 81 children. We have chosen, as our
means of manifesting God's love, to create opportunities for all people to live
in decent, affordable and energy-efficient shelter. We view our work as successful
when it transforms lives and promotes positive and lasting social, economic, and
spiritual change within our community.

We support sustainable construction and energy consumption practices, and every
home we build comes with an Energy Star®
rating. This saves the homeowner much needed
money and works for the preservation of our planet as well. We believe the
miniscule
can be multiplied to accomplish the magnificent, and working respectfully
together,
relationships can be nurtured and developed among all people.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We are preparing to put together a financial literacy program for our partner families.
The program will cover topics such as understanding mortgage disclosure documents
required by RESPA and TILA, mortgage deeds and preparing for closing, predatory
lending practices, foreclosure/delinquency prevention, homeowner insurance and escrow,
budgeting, and understanding and improving credit scores.

Serve Moses Lake

Serve Moses Lake is an outreach of the local Moses Lake Ministerial Association
Churches who have combined their resources (volunteers, materials, finances, etc.)
to assist Moses Lake residents in need. Our goal is to make this community better
by "helping people find the help they need, encouraging reconciliation, and connecting
them to the local Church." We offer a full range of services to meet the spiritual,
physical and emotional needs of Moses Lake residents through a coordinated intake
site, the Serve Moses Lake Clearinghouse Office. During the clearinghouse intake
process, we reach out to people with the love of Jesus Christ and offer them hope
through personal encouragement, practical acts of kindness, prayer support, and
a connection to a local church. We offer helpful services, such as advocacy, agency
referrals, local bus passes, clothing, financial assistance, food baskets, furniture,
haircuts, laundry vouchers, meals, and non-food pantry items. We verify the circumstances
and needs of our clients, make referrals to other local agencies and resources,
and then, based upon our recommendation, local churches respond to the benevolent
needs of our clients.

In addition to our clearinghouse office, Serve Moses Lake also operates a free Community
Meal, an annual Back-2-School clothing and supplies giveaway, and the Transformation
House program (a year-long commitment to making drastic life changes in order to
get on a productive path, away from any life-controlling problems).

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We intend to use every donated dollar to help fund our expanding programs (especially
our Community Meal and Transformation House) as we seek to help people find the
help they need.

Omak Food Bank

The Omak Food Bank was started in 1981 by a group of Christian women. Food was handed
out from individual homes. Then from a small room in the back of Omak City Hall,
to a small rental building, Omak Food Bank got a building of their own when we got
a CBDG grant. We are in our own building now, renting out the top and running distribution
out of the basement. Omak Food Bank is serving up to 350 to 400 people twice a week.
With family income being cut and more families needing food, our numbers will be
going up. We get Northwest Harvest T FAP and private donations. Sometimes we have
to stretch handouts a little thin.

The Omak Food Bank is run by all volunteers from administration to distribution
workers. The Omak Food Bank has bazaars, yard sales, and other fund raisers to raise
money for food.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We welcome the $3,000 gift from the Washington Federal giving program! This money
will certainly boost our ability to purchase food and assist with the needs of our
community in the months to come. Many thanks to the folks of Washington Federal.

WESST (Women's Economic Self Sufficiency Team)

WESST is a statewide small business development and training organization committed
to growing New Mexicoâ€™s economy by cultivating
entrepreneurship. Founded in 1988 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, WESST
has nurtured
the entrepreneurial dreams of thousands of New Mexicans
by providing training, technical assistance and access to capital.

Throughout its 25-year history, WESST has focused on providing financial literacy
and self-employment training to low-income individuals,
because it simultaneously addresses the need to create jobs and
stimulate economic
development in a state where microenterprise is one
of the primary sectors of job growth. However, many New Mexicans
need intensive
training to overcome obstacles to successful
entrepreneurship. For these individuals, opportunities for success
are hampered
by poor financial literacy, limited business and
marketing skills, limited access to technical resources, lack of
capital and
low self-esteem. With affordable and quality training,
micro-entrepreneurship can become a viable route out of poverty
â€” especially
for women needing to overcome significant barriers to
employment (e.g., lack of childcare and/or transportation), which
can often
be alleviated by working from the home.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The project will provide Financial Literacy/Financial Management training to pre-startup
through existing businesses with a primary goal
of helping participants: 1) pay off debt, 2) save money, and 3)
become bankable.
Targeted individuals will include those who have â€œnoâ€
credit or â€œbadâ€ credit with a view to increasing financial management
skills.

Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico (CAASNM)

Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico reaches over 25,000 people annually
with high-impact programs that build self-reliance.
For nearly five decades, we have worked to improve the lives
of low-income
children, youth, adults, and families in the five
southwestern counties of the state.

Family Wellness programs provide healthy, nutritious meals for children enrolled
in home daycare environments, and also train providers
on topics of nutrition, safety, child development, and more.
The Healthy
Eating Active Living project challenges licensed daycare
centers to improve progress toward 5 nutrition and physical
activity goals;
and Healthy Homes makes sure childcare providers have
adequate home safety equipment such as smoke detectors, fire
extinguishers,
and first aid kits.

Bridging Resources improves family stability through short- and long-term assistance
programs such as Total Benefit Services and
Covering Kids. These screening and enrollment programs help
families access
needed food and utility assistance, health insurance,
and other public and private resources.

Community Connections is our work to coordinate and collaborate with partners to
better serve the community through programs such as
Coats for Kids, free tax preparation, literacy and school
readiness initiatives,
and community assessment.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

CAASNM is working toward our vision of a community where opportunity exists for
all to become self-sufficient. Funding from Washington
Federal would support our core service groups.

Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity

Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing through a unique
homeownership model that combines the work of hundreds of volunteers and
the generosity of individuals, businesses and foundations in partnership
with
hard-working families in need. Since our founding in 1990, Boise Valley
Habitat
for Humanity has completed 55 homes.

Habitat for Humanity founders had the bold vision of a world where everyone has
a decent place to live. Experience and research have shown that when families
become Habitat homeowners, they gain a level of stability that
is not possible
when living in substandard conditions. Children remain in their neighborhood
schools, employment prospects are enhanced, and families become active stakeholders
in their neighborhood and community.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We believe that providing the opportunity for homeownership serves to break the
cycle of poverty and has long-lasting benefits for families and the community
we serve.

SouthEastern Idaho Community Action Agency, Inc.

Southeastern Idaho Community Action Agency, Inc. (SEICAA) is a non-profit organization
dedicated to alleviating the devastating effects of poverty and helping people
achieve better circumstances for themselves through services,
education,
affordable housing, and training. SEICAA is a Community Action Agency
that provides
services
to households through a seven-county service area: Bannock,
Bingham, Bear
Lake, Caribou, Franklin, Oneida, and Power. In 2012, SEICAA provided
services to
over 24,000
individuals (15% of the southeast Idaho population).

SEICAA provides opportunities for low- to moderate-income households to access resources
they need to stabilize and begin a journey to economic independence. SEICAA
administers several programs in the Asset Development Division.
SEICAAâ€™s
GED Program helps people achieve their basic education certificate and
then connects
them to
job opportunities and higher education. SEICAA provides Family
Development
Case Management to help families address barriers to self-sufficiency
and develop
goals to
achieve success. Programs designed to assist individuals include
Individual
Development Accounts, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, financial literacy
(including
a
workshop on the dangers of check and loan services), credit
counseling,
and homeownership. SEICAAâ€™s Self-Help Housing Program provides limited-income
households
with
education and training to prepare them for successful homeownership;
including
a â€œsweat equityâ€ labor component where they learn home maintenance skills.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

The funds received through the â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ opportunity will support SEICAAâ€™s
Asset Development efforts including strong focus on financial literacy services
for those seeking homeownership.

Junior Achievement of Idaho

Junior Achievement of Idahoâ€™s purpose is to educate and inspire young people to
succeed in a global economy. Our mission is to ensure that every
child in Idaho is financially responsible, has a fundamental
understanding
of the free enterprise system, and is prepared for the workforce.
Itâ€™s a hyper-competitive, fast-paced, interconnected world
out there.
And the statistics show that Americaâ€™s competitive edge needs
sharpening. At Junior Achievement, we work hard every day to
prepare and
inspire Idahoâ€™s youth to succeed in todayâ€™s global economy. Our
classroom volunteers engage students in solving real-world
problems to
better prepare them for the complexities of both work and life in the
21st century. We have a powerful alliance that bridges the business community
with educators putting mentors right in the classroom. This
innovative partnership connects young people with community
leaders providing
relevant learning and the importance of staying in school, and
inspires students to develop competitive skills and confidence
allowing
them to own their own economic success.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Your vote will provide a generous donation that will help revitalize the American
workforce right here in Idaho. The funds will be used to
purchase the hands-on student materials that provide the experiential
learning
that transforms lives. Our youth are the future leaders of
Idaho, and together, we have an opportunity to ensure they
are prepared
with the skills they need to succeed in a global economy and are
inspired to be college and career ready. Thank you for your
vote.

Pocatello Neighborhood Housing Services

Pocatello Neighborhood Housing Services is a progressive alliance between residents,
business, and government that revitalizes targeted areas by
promoting affordable housing and community pride through the
establishment
of healthy neighborhoods. PNHS is a chartered member of the NeighborWorksÂ®
network, which is a trained and certified community development network
consisting of over 230 member organizations.

PNHS was created by the community in 1993 to revitalize the central neighborhoods
of Pocatello. PNHS works toward this goal in several ways. It constructs brand
new â€œinfillâ€ homes on empty vacant lots, offers home rehabilitation
and
down payment assistance loans, rehabilitates and resells homes that
had fallen into
foreclosure, teaches homebuyer education and financial fitness classes,
conducts
foreclosure intervention counseling, supports community building and
organizing
through its active support of six neighborhood associations, and offers
a lawn and
tool lending service.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

PNHS is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2013. In order to commemorate this
in a permanent way, the leaders of the organization plan to build a covered
pavilion at Caldwell Park. The pavilion will be a beautiful
structure that
will add to the aesthetics of the surrounding area and allow local residents
to
have a covered space for gatherings and other events. It will facilitate
small concerts,
performances and cultural events. The area where the pavilion is
built will feature upgraded landscaping and lighting, and grassy
berms
for seating. Cost of construction is estimated to be $85,000. To date,
$72,000 has
been secured through grants and private donations. PNHS is planning
to break ground
on the pavilion in the Spring of 2014, but to make this a reality,
additional funding is needed.

Second Harvest

Second Harvest was founded in 1971 as a central warehouse for a handful of emergency
food pantries in Spokane, Wash., and is the pioneering
organization that leads the fight against hunger in the Inland
Northwest.

Today, Second Harvest is feeding more people than ever before in the uncertain economy.
Partnerships with 250 neighborhood food banks, meal
centers and other hunger-relief programs make it possible for Second
Harvest
to provide food to more than 50,000 children and adults each week.

Second Harvest's food bank network spans 21 counties in Eastern Washington and five
counties in North Idaho â€“ just over 51,000 square miles. With
distribution centers in Spokane and Pasco, Wash., Second Harvest
provides close
to 2 million pounds of free food each month throughout its vast
service area. Almost half of that food is nutritious fresh fruits
and vegetables
â€“ much of which is farm-fresh produce from the agriculturally
rich region.

Second Harvestâ€™s food helps fill the nutritional gap for people in poverty, the
working poor, elderly and disabled people on very low fixed
incomes, and children and families in temporary crisis.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

A community gift from Washington Federal will be stretched a long way to get food
to where itâ€™s needed most. A broad base of support from
generous food and financial donors and more than 2,500 volunteers
a year
help Second Harvest transform every donated dollar into six pounds of
donated food â€“ about five meals â€“ for hungry people in rural and urban communities
in the Inland Northwest.

Serve Wenatchee Valley

Our vision is to coordinate opportunities whereby pastors, churches and partner
ministries will be strengthened as they work together in efforts to
transform our valley with the message of the Gospel. Through
this collaborative
ministry, pastors and churches have determined to look beyond the
things that set them apart and grab hold of the foundational
truth that
holds them together â€” we are one Body: the Body of Christ. Our clearinghouse
ministryâ€™s mission is helping churches help people help themselves. We
do this by providing a compassionate, prayerful, non-judgmental atmosphere
to
verify and address a clientâ€™s needs. We network with local
agencies to
assist with a clientâ€™s need for food, clothing, furniture, rental, and
utility
assistance. We offer referral services for addiction recovery,
financial
planning, and various counseling needs. We host many annual events â€”
a few of
which are: The Back 2 School Giveaway, Thanksgiving Baskets
of Blessings,
Life Skills Workshops, All-Valley Worship Services, and a Free Dental
Day.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Your donation will help fund our efforts in the community. Thank you for your support
as we strive to be â€œthe heart and hands of Jesus Christ for our valley.â€

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Wenatchee Area

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Wenatchee Area builds homes in partnership with
local families in need of adequate housing. Since its inception in 1990,
our organization has built 47 homes in the Wenatchee Valley
for qualifying
families. Homeowners are selected based on their need for adequate housing,
ability
to repay a no-profit mortgage, and willingness to partner with Habitat
for Humanity.
Loan repayments contribute to help build additional homes in our community.
Because Habitat homes are built with volunteer labor and are sold with
no-profit, they are affordable for low-income partners. Habitat for
Humanity offers
families
a hand-up, not a hand-out.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Donations received from your votes will help us purchase the framing lumber and
supplies needed to build our next home in Wenatchee.

Ready by Five

Ready by Five provides Family Literacy programs for Hispanic farm worker families
to help children get ready for kindergarten and success at school,
and to teach parents English, computer skills, civics and useful
school
skills to support and encourage their childrenâ€™s learning so both can
be more
successful in life. Simultaneous classes serve adults and children,
and
workers learn in Growersâ€™ Schools â€” partnerships between Ready by Five,
Growers
and local school districts. Most adult students are too old for K-12
public education,
too unschooled and unskilled for community college or technical
school. Schooling also builds skills for parents to support
their childrenâ€™s
learning. The adults are Yakima Valleyâ€™s work force, vital to our economic
prosperity and stability, the parents of most of our school children and
future workforce, and our neighbors. Their children are our school districtsâ€™
neediest students. We use GED attainment as a course completion measure
for adults and school test scores to measure childrenâ€™s gains. Interactive
Literacy Activities (ILA) between parents and children are included in
our curriculum and typically include a game, a song, or a craft to demonstrate
a literacy skill building activity, a science concept and a math exercise.
All show parents how to â€œlearningfullyâ€ play with their children and
that
teachable moments are present in everyday life.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We would use our Washington Federal grant for supplies for our classes, ILA and
our bilingual, cross-cultural Kaleidoscope Play &Learn program that
builds bridges between Hispanic and Anglo families in our community.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Las Cruces

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Las Cruces (CCDLC) is a non-profit Catholic-based
ministry offering a broad range of social justice programs and
solutions within the 10 southern counties of NM. CCDLC is chartered
by the
Diocese of Las Cruces to be the principal provider of social, legal
and
economic assistance to people in need regardless of faith, belief,
ethnicity
or cultural background.

The Mission of CCDLC is a social outreach ministry providing the following services:
low cost citizenship and immigration-related legal services;
referrals for other legal matters and other social service needs;
a store which
generates revenue to support programs and which provides assistance
to needy families with low cost clothing and household items; a voucher program
for no-cost clothing to impoverished families; emergency financial
assistance of last resort with preference given to children, disabled
and the
elderly, especially on the threshold of homelessness; a goal of
revitalizing the financial literacy program providing much needed
financial
education to children and adults.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Las Cruces intends to use this community gift
from Washington Federal to create a Financial Literacy
program that can be implemented in all 10 Southern NM Counties
by teaching
instructors for each community. Our targeted outcome is
helping impoverished communities to develop financial habits that
will empower
them to achieve financial sustainability. Education
is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Fe

Since 1938, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Fe have been providing a safe, educational
place for our children to grow. We have lasted this long because
generations of people, businesses, government, and volunteers
gave their
time, money, and other resources to our clubs. With your help we can
be around
for another 75. It's because of supporters, like yourself who
truly care,
that we are able to provide our children with an all-day summer recreation
program
and after school program. Both programs provide children ages 5 to 18
access to
a computer club house, recreational activities, homework help, and reading
instruction. In addition, in the summer months we provide breakfast, lunch,
and an afternoon snack to thousands of children throughout the Santa
Fe community.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

In February of 2013, we merged our Santa Fe Clubs with the Boys and Girls Clubs
of Del Norte. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Del Norte consist of a Boys and Girls
Club
in Abiquiu and Chimayo. By combining the two organizations into
one, we
were able to reduce administrative costs and are using that savings
for
enhancing existing programs and implementing new ones. When
you give to
the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Fe, you are making an investment into
your community, and together we are fulfilling our mission, "To enable
all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their
full
potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens."

Central Oregon Council On Aging (COCOA)

Sometimes seniors need support to stay in their homes, independent and safe, and
sometimes that support is a home delivered meal â€” a meal that will allow them to
stay in their home, not only because itâ€™s a nutritious meal, but because a generous
volunteer gives of their time and checks on the senior each day a meal is delivered.
Sometimes, this volunteer is the only person a senior will see all day â€” what a
critical impact that volunteer has on the safety and well-being of that senior.
The volunteer is an important link for the Central Oregon Council On Aging case
management team that assesses, tracks and monitors the clients.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

COCOA is a 501c3 organization dedicated to promoting dignity, well-being, safety
and independence for Central Oregon seniors, and serves as the designated Area Agency
on Aging and the Aging and Disability Resource Connection for the entire Central
Region of Oregon â€” from the borders of California to Washington State â€” for information
and referral services. Along with our dedicated team of employees and volunteers,
COCOA serves over 75,000 meals on wheels and 65,000 congregate meals, and provides
assistance through 85,000 information and assistance calls, 16,000 hours of in-home
care,
and educational and resource services â€” since 1975.

COCOA is also a non-profit, and generous financial support is always welcome to
support
Meals On Wheels or other programs COCOA provides to over 25,000 seniors
in the tri-county
region.

Assistance League of Klamath County

Assistance League® of Klamath Basin is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose volunteer members
administer philanthropic programs that have served the local Klamath Basin community
for 25 years. Funds raised are returned entirely to this community. It is a chapter
of National Assistance League®, 25,000 members strong.

Our primary philanthropic program, Operation School Bell® provided new clothing
to
a record number of K-12 grade children in all the Klamath County and
City School
Districts and areas of Northern California during the 2012/2013 fiscal
year. 732
children and youth were served. Through referrals from school staff,
children receive
a winter coat, hat, gloves two pair of pants, shirts, underwear, a sweat
outfit,
socks, new shoes and a hygiene kit. Additionally, we delivered award
winning books
to all Klamath schools and libraries.

Our mission is to promote learning, school attendance, and self-esteem for children
and families in need within the Basin. Receiving new clothing does just that as
evidenced by countless testimonials. Our National organization provides us with
guidance, so we can change and evolve depending on conditions in the community.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Our programs help with an Oregon county that has one of the highest percentages
of
poverty and neglect/threat of harm to children. But, as typical of non-profit
organizations
across the country, we are struggling with funding and a reduced budget.
Funding
from Washington Federal, will help Assistance League® of Klamath Basin
maintain
the high level of contribution we have been making to the community
and its children.

Consumer Credit Counseling

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Oregon helps people who are often
overwhelmed by their financial situation. They are looking for options that will
help them gain control and move forward with their lives. A client recently sent
us a note that said, â€œI wanted to thank you for being there when all else seemed
to not be working. I will always be appreciative of the service you offer. I hope
I do not need you in the future, but if things become overwhelming, I know you are
there. I will suggest your services to anyone who is in need.â€ (Sarah from Medford)

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Oregon has been helping people like
Sarah in Southern Oregon and Northern California since 1971. The Agencyâ€™s certified
counselors provide free confidential credit and housing counseling, debt repayment
plans, credit report review, and bankruptcy counseling and education. The Agency
provides over 200 community and school education programs on budgeting, money management
and credit each year. Volunteers assist low income seniors and the disabled through
its Money Management Program. CCCS is a Jackson County United Way agency, is accredited
by the Council on Accreditation for Children and Families and is a HUD certified
housing counseling agency. More information is available at www.cccsso.org.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Washington Federal Bankâ€™s gift would be used to help support the Agencyâ€™s free confidential
credit counseling program. During the appointment a budget is developed, concerns
are addressed, options are discussed and ongoing support is provided. Over 2000
individuals like Sarah receive help every year.

Kids Center

For nearly 20 years, KIDS Center has provided unique, unduplicated and comprehensive
medical evaluations, forensic interviews, family support and therapy services to
abused children ages birth to 18. Services are provided at no cost to the child
and family, and are designed to support a childâ€™s healing as well as to prevent
future episodes of abuse. KIDS Center is a child-friendly environment where a child
tells their story of abuse one time to a trained and compassionate expert who can
help them get the help they need. In 2012, approximately 900 children were served
by KIDS Center. 84% of these children came from low-income families with a household
income at or below the poverty line.

As the only Child Abuse Intervention Center in Central Oregon, KIDS Center is the
region's leader in abuse prevention education. In 2012, 1,323 adults attended KIDS
Center training, increasing their awareness of child abuse and learning how to better
keep children safe from child abuse.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Sadly, child abuse is growing and is becoming much too common in our State. In
2012
alone, there were 11,188 confirmed victims over a 12-month period in
Oregon. Funds
raised through the Washington Federal â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ program will
help ensure
that children in Central Oregon who are have been physically and/or
sexually abused,
suffered from neglect, and/or have been witness to domestic violence
will receive
the timely and compassionate services they need to overcome the devastating
impacts
of abuse.

CASA of Lake County

The mission of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Lake County is to provide
every abused and neglected child in Lake County, Oregon with a qualified and compassionate
advocate who will fight for and protect the childâ€™s fundamental rights to be safe,
to be treated with dignity, and to grow in a safe and loving family. And while doing
this, to strengthen the childâ€™s sense of personal value and to support the child
through frequent one-on-one activities and interaction.

CASA of Lake County is a non-profit organization which began twenty years ago and
provides advocacy for abused and neglected children throughout the county. Currently,
half the kids in foster care receive the help of a volunteer. This is due to a lack
of funds. The volunteers are appointed by a local judge to watch over and advocate
for them and to make sure the children donâ€™t become re-victimized through the complex
legal system or languish in foster homes.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

We will conduct a county-wide campaign created by National CASA called I am for
the
Child. This will raise public awareness about child abuse and neglect,
increase
awareness about the value of CASA, and train more volunteers to serve
abused and
neglected children in our county. Few volunteer roles have such a critical
and immediate
impact on the life of a child as that of a CASA volunteer.

Foster Grandparent Program

The Foster Grandparent Program is comprised of volunteers, age 55 and above, that
wish to utilize their wealth of experience to tutor, mentor and befriend at-risk
youth ranging in age from birth to 21. Foster Grandparents work 15 to 40 hours
per week at non-profit organizations throughout our community. As the program was
designed specifically to involve lower income seniors, they receive a non-taxable,
non-deductable stipend of $2.65 per hour. Participating volunteers are also eligible
to receive transportation reimbursement at .30 cents per mile and supplemental insurance
coverage. The sites at which Foster Grandparents are placed all share a mission
of service to children, whether that be in traditional settings like public schools
and Head Start centers or involvement with children at the Boys and Girls Club.
The young people served by Foster Grandparents greatly benefit from the attention
given within the context of an ongoing relationship with a caring Foster Grandparent.
The volunteers, in turn, enjoy a revitalized sense of purpose in addition to some
financial relief. The Foster Grandparent Program of Southern Oregon serves Jackson,
Josephine and Klamath counties at 57 registered sites. 90 Foster Grandparent volunteers
provided 75,648 hours of service throughout the community last year alone!

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds raised through the Washington Federal â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ program will be used
for a portion of both the stipend and mileage reimbursement these Foster Grandparents
receive. These volunteers can then continue to serve as valuable resources, mentors,
and non-judgmental companions to the at-risk youth of Southern Oregon.

Neighbor Impact

From 1985 to date, Neighbor Impact is has been recognized by the Oregon Housing
and
Community Services Department (OHCS) as a community action agency serving
the Central
Oregon Region of Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties. It is the
region's lead
agency for homeless services, child care resources, emergency food programs,
home
ownership, housing rehabilitation, Head Start, and self-help programs
for the working
poor. Neighbor Impact employs roughly 200 staff and serves over 55,000
persons annually.

For over 25 years, our community action programs have focused on building successful
families by helping them with their basic needs, affordable housing, home ownership
and training to increase life skills, work skills and financial literacy.

How we will use a Locals Know Best community grant from Washington Federal

Funds from the â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ fundraising effort will be used to support our
Emergency Services programs, including the Food Bank, Family shelter and Transitional
housing programs.

Opportunity Knocks

What is Opportunity Knocks?
Opportunity Knocks is the one business advisory organization that provides
small
business owners in Central Oregon with the tools to think strategically,
solve problems
and achieve goals. Member businesses have their own advisory team of
experienced
small business owners and managers that bring real-life experiences
to their situation.

Members are divided into teams of twelve that meet monthly for three hours to discuss
critical business issues. Each team member provides an update on their business,
including how they implemented action steps provided from the previous meeting.
Through these peer-to-peer advisory teams, trusted and lasting relationships are
formed that provide each member encouragement, inspiration and direction for their
business. Opportunity Knocks also provides learning opportunities including education
seminars.

How we will use a Locals Know Best community grant

We intend to expand our membership base and create at least three new peer-to-peer
teams (including a non-profit and food services focused team) this year. These funds
will also allow us to create three annual membership scholarships that can be awarded
to deserving small business owners who cannot afford the yearly dues.

Integral Youth Services

Integral Youth Services (IYS) is a private, faith-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) social
service agency providing services to homeless, at-risk and runaway youth in Klamath
County since 1988. IYS provides life-changing services to more than 2,100 Klamath
County youth annually.

Our mission is â€œTo offer HOPE to youth, providing for their needs and mentoring
toward
positive choices and healthy relationships.â€ We believe in serving
youth with compassion
and encouragement. We believe in providing opportunities, structure
and accountability,
which leads to a sense of responsibility. Our philosophies enable us
to nurture
the youth we serve, releasing their full potential.

At our emergency shelter Exodus House, youth in crisis with nowhere to go find safe
shelter and support. Youth in transition, without stable housing find refuge and
safe housing through our Transitional Living Program (TLP). Current/former foster
care youth learn to live independently through the Independent Living Program (ILP).
Youth living in poverty and/or dealing with homelessness are ensured equal access
to education through the Homeless Education Liaison Program (HELP). Youth struggling
socially or academically in school find the one-on-one support they need in our
Accredited Alternative School. At the IYS Youth Center kids get a healthy meal
and a safe place to be after school. IYSâ€™ Free Summer Lunch Program provides nutritious
lunches to hungry kids each summer.

How we will use a Locals Know Best community grant
from Washington Federal

The funds raised by community votes during the Locals Know Best fundraising event
in May, will be used solely to support Integral Youth Services (IYS) programs and
services, specifically our Youth Center. Located in the Mills Addition in Klamath
Falls, the Youth Center is situated diagonally across from Mills Elementary School.
Providing a safe, supervised place to be after school, an average of 60-70 youth
comes through its doors each day.

The Youth Center provides a five-component, USDA sponsored supper daily to ensure
youth are receiving a nutritious and filling afternoon meal. This is critical,
as 100% of the students at the Mills Elementary School qualify for free or reduced
lunches.

The Youth Center staff and volunteers also provide mentoring, tutoring, group learning
sessions and homework help, as well as providing youth with a safe place to enjoy
books, games, movies and crafts.
The funds raised will help IYS continue to keep the
Youth Center
doors open to the youth that rely on it. Staff will be able to provide
books, art
supplies, and other items that help them provide a safe, fun learning
environment
for the youth.

The Youth Center provides a safe haven for neighborhood youth, and IYS programs
and
services are providing HOPE and possibilities for a brighter future
every day. We
could not continue to do what we do without the support of the community,
thank
you.

Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) is a nonprofit youth organization whose core purpose is
to
inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. We
work in partnership
with schools and businesses to improve student knowledge in the areas
of entrepreneurship,
work-readiness and financial literacy. In the current economic climate,
it becomes
more and more evident that sound financial education and a solid understanding
in
fiscal responsibility are imperative for all citizens â€“ especially young
people.

The hallmark of JA is its incorporation of volunteers from community businesses
and
organizations who visit school classrooms to present JA programs. Depending
on the
program, these visits are typically on a once-a-week basis and last
between five
and ten weeks. The dynamic interaction between students and classroom
volunteers
with practical business experience promotes active learning and brings
theory to
life, often resulting in life-changing experiences.

Junior Achievement of Klamath County, a District of Junior Achievement of Oregon
and SW Washington, has been a positive influence in this community since 1998. In
the 2012-13 school year, we will serve approximately 2,000 K-12 students in 70 classrooms
throughout Klamath County. An estimated 50 volunteers from business and industry
will give an average of 10 hours each in an effort to reach these students.

How we will use a Locals Know Best community grant from Washington Federal

Funds raised through the Washington Federal â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ program will help
to purchase JA program curriculum kits that are used by volunteer teachers. All
JA in-class programs are packaged in a kit that contains the tools and materials
needed by a volunteer to teach a JA class. $100 covers the cost to purchase one
kit. To reach the $5000 goal will equate to kits for 50 classes! You are helping
students develop the competence, confidence and character needed to compete in todayâ€™s
global economy.

Boys & Girls Clubs

Over the past 43 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley have served thousands
of youth in our community. Boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18 come to
the Club every day after school and in the summer, to play, see their friends and
participate in our important programs. The Clubs offer a safe place, with positive
role models and positive programs. But thereâ€™s more to it than that. The Club
is where the kids come to connect and be who they can be. They learn what it is
to BE Great!

We offer core programming in five areas including: The Arts, Sports Fitness & Recreation,
Character & Leadership, Education & Career Development and Health & Life Skills.
We collaborate with other youth development agencies in the area, providing the
best resources and referrals for our at-risk kids and their families. We also work
with the USDA to feed our members a supper every day. In 2012 we served over 94,000
meals and 19,000 snacks, making us one of the largest food providers in the State
outside of the school districts. For many of our kids this is the last meal of the
day. We keep our membership fees low at $40 for the school year, while our program
costs are well over $1,200 a year per child. We even offer scholarships for families
in need, because we never turn a child away due to the inability to pay.

How we will use a Locals Know Best community grant from Washington Federal

The support from Washington Federal will help to offset the costs of our programs
and provide scholarships for the kids that need us most. We appreciate the opportunity
to work together and create a better future for our kids and our community. We
exist through the generosity of community partners such as Washington Federal. Thank
you.

Goodwill

Southern Oregon Goodwill is a non-profit organization whose mission is â€œHelping
individuals
and families build social and employment skills needed to achieve personal
and economic
independence.â€ The agency was founded in 1967 and provides services
to more than
1,600 individuals annually in Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath,
Lake and Siskiyou
counties.

According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, the most effective way
to help at-risk, low-income children and their families is to address both parental
employment and parenting skills. Southern Oregon Goodwillâ€™s Steps to Success family
strengthening program was designed with those recommendations in mind and is free
to parents wanting to improve their home and work life.

The need for Steps to Success is great for families in Douglas, Jackson, Josephine
and Klamath counties. In Klamath County alone, 26% of families with children aged
5 to 17 live below poverty. In 2011, that countyâ€™s rate for abuse and neglect was
almost double that of the state for families with children.

Goodwillâ€™s ultimate goals are to reduce the incidence of child abuse/neglect; provide
parents with job and life skills to move them toward financial stability; and decrease
the probability of generational poverty for children in our region. Goodwill case
managers work with families through home visits, classes, and coordinate family
services with community partners.

How we will use a Locals Know Best community grant from Washington Federal

Washington Federal Bankâ€™s gift will fund parenting class materials, as well as support
medical and mental health services, family counseling, emergency services, and child
care while parents are participating in the programâ€™s mandatory â€œthree steps.â€

Boys & Girls Clubs

For 19 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon has been opening doors to great
futures for local youth. Four Clubs in the communities of Bend, Redmond and Terrebonne
serve over 1,500 children annually aged 5-18. Programs strategically focus on Academic
Success, Healthy Lifestyles, and Character & Citizenship, and which further the
mission of the Clubs to enable all young people, especially those who need us most,
to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Boys & Girls Clubs' vision is to create great futures for children in Deschutes
County,
where success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors,
on track
to graduate high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good
character
and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon has always been a local organization, serving
local kids, focusing on local issues. Three out of ten kids donâ€™t graduate on time;
one out of five live in poverty; and four out of ten are overweight. Funded by local
dollars, a dedicated team of paid, professional staff allows Boys & Girls Clubs
to allocate 89% of resources directly towards programming.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funding from Washington Federal will allow Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon
to
direct resources towards preventing summer learning loss. With the tools
available
to keep children engaged all summer long, they will return to school
in the fall
leaps and bounds ahead of their classmates on an accelerated path to
success.

MountainStar

At MountainStar, we keep more than 300 infants and toddlers safe from abuse and
neglect
each year, while we help their families to address multiple big challenges
such
as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, family violence, substance abuse,
mental
illness, and incarcerationâ€”to name just a few.

The reality is that currently in Oregon 48% of child abuse victims, and 60% of children
who died from abuse and neglect, were 5 years old or younger. The first three years
of life are also when 90% of brain development occurs, and the basic patterns that
enable us to succeed in life are established.

Thatâ€™s where MountainStar comes in. Families receive crisis intervention, respite
care, home visits with parent coaching and education, on-site counseling, support
in accessing community resources and referrals, and access to diapers, food and
used baby clothing and equipment. Where the risk of abuse and neglect is highest,
we also transport 42 infants and toddlers to our intensive Therapeutic Classrooms
twice a week where staff are able to monitor and support their health and development.

The tough part is, we have a waiting list of 50 children who need to get into our
intensive Therapeutic Classroomsâ€”and those are just the children we know about.
We need funding to continue to expand our services. Thatâ€™s where you come in!

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds raised through the Washington Federal â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ program will support
15 babies in our intensive Therapeutic Infant Classroom. This ensures that infants
like 4-month-old â€˜Jonathon,â€™ who attends class with his developmentally disabled
mother each week, get the support they need to thrive and survive. Thank you for
joining us in keeping children safe, parents successful and families together!

Klamath & Lake Community Action Services

Klamath & Lake Community Action Services (KLCAS) is a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit
that seeks and distributes State and Federal funding. Funding supports both KLCAS
programs and local social service providers throughout Klamath and Lake Counties.
KLCAS programs provide economic stability through home energy assistance, emergency
shelters, foreclosure counseling, family budgeting, and many other programs. For
additional information, please visit www.klcas.org.

During the summer, we hold our annual Project Family Connect event where we bring
key community partners to one location. This free event educates and connects individuals
and families with services and resources that promote economic stability while also
providing a free lunch. Last year we served 633 guests, the highest number we have
seen in our five-year history. 306 of those guests were children and received school
supplies. Of the 327 adults, 43 reported having no income.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

This is our sixth annual Project Family Connect which will be held in August. Funds
will be used to help make transformations happen for our neighbors in need. People
with medical problems receive no-cost medical exams while those with vision problems
receive free reading glasses. People experiencing mouth pain receive free dental
care. Funds will also help provide access to a variety of immediate services including
school supplies, dental care, food, haircuts, and much more.

Friends of the Children

Friends of the Children was founded in 1993 in Portland, Oregon by entrepreneur
Duncan
Campbell. Despite a hardscrabble childhood, Campbell achieved success
and promised
that one day, if he had the resources to do so, he would help other
children triumph
over adversity.

Campbell searched for the most compelling evidence on how to help vulnerable children
move forward. He collected best practices from around the country and wove these
findings into the bedrock of the Friends of the Children program: start early, train
and pay the mentors, stay for the long haul. Research has proven that the single
most important factor that fosters resiliency in children is a caring and consistent
relationship with an adult. The earlier this bond is formed, the stronger it will
be and the greater impact it will have on the childâ€™s future. Friends of the Children
selects the children when they begin school, and once selected, we commit to the
children through high school graduation, no matter what. With someone to look up
to, count on, talk to, help them with school work, comfort them, and align them
with goals for the future, with someone who will be there for the long haul, these
children will thrive.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Our community gift will be used in a variety of ways, including maintenance and
improvements
to the Friends clubhouse on Altamont Drive, enrichment activities for
the children
(travel to the gym, library, museum, pool or waterslides), PSAT and
SAT fees, scholarship
application fees, and graduation materials.

Community Health Center

Community Health Center was founded in 1972 as the result of a grass-roots effort,
and exists today as an Oregon not-for-profit corporation that enjoys tax-exempt
status and â€“ since December 2004 â€“ recognition as a federally-qualified health center.
All Community Health Center clinic sites (Ashland, Medford, White City, and Butte
Falls) and School-Based Health Center sites (Butte Falls Charter School, Ashland
and Eagle Point High Schools) are recognized by the Oregon Health Authority as Tier
3 Patient-Centered Primary Care Homes (the highest recognition available). The Mission
of Community Health Center has remained unchanged for over forty years, and that
is to promote the health of low-income, working uninsured and other vulnerable children
and adults in Jackson County, Oregon. The agency fulfills this mission by offering
core services that consist of primary, preventative, and perinatal health services,
and by offering such complementary services as integrated behavioral health and
prescription medication assistance. Services are made accessible and affordable
for uninsured individuals and families through a generous sliding-fee schedule,
with no uninsured person turned away due to inability to pay at the time of a scheduled
visit. In addition, Community Health Center accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party
insurances.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds raised through the Washington Federal â€œLocals Know Bestâ€ program will be used
to assure access to health services for students utilizing school-based health centers
(SBHC) operated by Community Health Center. SBHCs are located on school grounds,
an ideal location to provide primary, preventive and mental health services to students.
SBHCs save parental time off work, reduce absenteeism, promote healthy lifestyle
choices, help keep students healthy and in school which directly contributes to
their future success. Health + Education = Success!

Children's Advocacy Center of Jackson County

The mission of the Children's Advocacy Center of Jackson County is to meet the needs
of children and families by providing a community-based center that facilitates
a compassionate, multidisciplinary approach to the prevention, treatment, identification,
investigation, and prosecution of child abuse.

We provide core and supportive services to victims of child abuse, including forensic
disclosure interviews, medical assessments and treatment, therapy services, and
mentoring programs. We also provide support groups for non-offending family members
and training to professionals and the larger community on the prevention, intervention,
and treatment of child abuse.

How we will use a Locals Know Best
community grant from Washington Federal

Funds will be used for therapy groups and services to children and teens as they
heal from abuse. Our staff served 1,070 youth in 2012, with numbers growing each
year. Support from the community is essential for us to continue to provide services
to those who need us. All services are focused on doing our part to meet our vision:
communities where children are safe, families are strong, and our child victims
become children again.